Bachelor of Science in Construction Management, 2016

What was your favorite aspect of attending NewSchool? What was your favorite memory?

I enjoyed the smaller classrooms and the relationships we could build with the instructors. It made the learning process better and more personal. My fondest memories were when the construction management students would work on their homework and projects together up in the construction management loft.

Did you have any notable accomplishments while attending NewSchool?

I was part of the winning 2016 ASC Reno Design-Build team for NewSchool.

What are you doing now?

I am a Field Engineer with Hensel Phelps.

What projects are you currently working on?

I am currently building student housing at UCSD. We are building 9 high rise residential buildings.

What has been your biggest career accomplishment?

I am learning a lot about building and planning and am enjoying every minute of it!

What advice would you give to someone starting out?

I would advise anyone starting out (man or woman) to be humble and stay focused. There is a lot to learn and school teaches you about 10% of what you need to know out in the field. Ask a lot of questions, work hard, do the research, and be open and willing to learn. And this is advice that people can take going into any field of work. You will know some stuff but there is SO much more to learn once you are actually living and breathing it.

Master of Construction Management, 2013

Andy currently oversees nearly $600 million of construction work at DPR Construction. A few of the projects he’s responsible for include a 350,000-square-foot lab for a biopharmaceutical company, a 145,000-square-foot office space for a biopharmaceutical company, a math and science building for a local community college, a creative arts building for a state university, and a building refresh for a tech client.

Since graduating from the Master of Construction Management at NewSchool, he has excelled in his career and now works as a Project Director. His ambitions are even greater though. He hopes to one day become the Vice President of Operations at DPR.

Why did you choose NewSchool?

I first learned about NewSchool from a friend. I then followed up with an advisor and went to an open house and quickly applied! I chose NewSchool because of the environment – I liked the class sizes, people, and professors. It felt like a great place to learn.

What was your favorite aspect of attending NewSchool?

I think what I liked the most about NewSchool was the library. There are so many great resources for students. My favorite memories while attending NewSchool were the people, the projects, and, during my thesis year, presenting my final project “On the Rails.”

What projects are you currently working on?

I am working on high-end residential custom homes. I design and build homes from the ground up. I also founded a startup company called Whatfloor, a building safety app.

What has been your biggest career accomplishment?

Graduating from NewSchool with my Bachelor of Architecture with a minor in 2017, a Master of Construction Management in 2018, and creating the Whatfloor phone application.

Tell us more about Whatfloor. Why was it created and what does it do?

Whatfloor was founded in 2018 by Martin Bermudez, Jose Martinez, David Perez (myself), and Luis Verastegui in San Bruno, CA.

The app was created with the purpose of saving lives. Building security is essential for everyone working in a building. The only tools that people have currently are the evacuation maps that are placed near the entrance of a building. We want to provide more to guarantee the safety and wellbeing of everyone so that they can easily be accounted for during an emergency or crisis.

Our mission at Whatfloor is to save lives by streamlining emergency preparations for buildings and connecting first responders in real-time during an emergency.

We assist building owners and emergency teams before, during, and after an emergency in their buildings. Every decision could mean the difference between life and death. Whatfloor’s innovative mobile emergency evacuation app can help people make better decisions during a crisis.

UPDATE: David now champions safe environments as a Business Development Manager at USG-Upland Group.

Hometown: Queen Creek, Arizona

In which branch of the military did you serve?

United States Marine Corps

Years of military service

4 years

Why did you choose NewSchool?

Small class sizes allow for 1-on-1 interaction with professors/instructors.

How did you apply your military experience to your education?

Attention to detail as well as dedication to push through college in order to go out and provide for my family.

What was your favorite thing about attending NewSchool?
The ability to work 1-on-1 with my professors/instructors to ensure I was able to learn the most I could and to work closely with other veterans at the school. Being a small school allowed for veterans like myself to get together more often in order to learn from each other and lean on each other in times of need.

What have you been doing since you graduated?

Upon graduation, I went straight to work in Arizona for Rosendin Electric, Inc. as an Assistant Project Manager. I am currently part of a large solar project that will be providing power to the people of Arizona.

What has been your biggest career accomplishment?

It is still early in my career, but I was placed in charge of handling the logistics for a 100 Meg. solar farm due to my drive and attention to detail. With 100s of thousands of pieces of material arriving on the site within 6 months, it is part of my job to ensure all the material is here on site when it is supposed to be.

How did your experience in the military and in college prepare you for your future?

My family deserves credit as well, but knowing when to listen and when to lead are important traits that can be utilized anywhere you go. The military gave me a sense of drive to push through the hardships that the future brings. College allowed me to sharpen the tools I had accumulated in my toolbox over the years in order to come out into the civilian sector ready to work and provide for not only my family but my country as well.

What would you like people to know about the life of a student veteran?

Life as a student veteran can be tough. There will be things you do not understand, things that will overwhelm you, and things that frustrate you. Just know that there are other veterans there with you to learn from and lean on. Never let go of the memories you made in the military, but don’t be afraid to make new ones in college. A veteran and I used to go down to a burger shack on Thursday just to talk and get through some hard times. If it wasn’t for him and other veterans like him, college would have been much harder for me. Learn from each other and lean on each other. They will be your new fire team.

What advice would you give to veterans who are thinking about pursuing a college education?

Think about what you want in life first. The GI Bill is a wonderful thing and should not be wasted, but it is best when you can commit to your goal and accomplish it.

Hometown: San Diego, California

In which branch of the military did you serve?

US Navy

Years of military service

2004-2010

Why did you choose NewSchool?

Top-ranked BSCM program in California

How did you apply your military experience to your education?

As a Fleet Marine Force Corpsman, we adapted the philosophy of, “See one, do one, teach one,” which I was able to apply to my education at NewSchool.

What was your favorite thing about attending NewSchool?

The actual field knowledge, trade secrets, and implementation strategies our professors bring into the classroom!

What have you been doing since you graduated?

I started my own GC [general contractor] firm – First Coast Construction (CSLB 1056999). I am also a government contractor working as a Quality Control Manager for the largest specialty contractor on ENR, Quanta Services. My division (Nova Group) specializes in jet-a fuel storage and distribution. Currently working at the San Diego International Airport.

What has been your biggest career accomplishment?

Closing out a “top secret-SCIF” project for the Naval Aviation Warfighting Development Center in Fallon, Nevada, as a QC Manager. That was 6 months behind schedule and accruing over 11k a day in liquidated damages.

How did your experience in the military and in college prepare you for your future?

It taught me to “embrace the suck.” Sometimes you are going to work 80-90 hours a week at the beginning of your construction career. Hang in there, make sure you have “positive” outlets for stress, like hiking surfing, camping, or at least hit the gym. Once you get into upper management, make sure to be humble and show up early!

What would you like people to know about the life of a student veteran?

It’s “easy day” compared to the military, the hard part is staying disciplined and away from the parties. Make an educational mission plan and stick to it!

What advice would you give to veterans who are thinking about pursuing a college education?

Get up, get out, and go get some! Don’t waste your VA Benefits – we earned it!

 

Hometown: Burnsville, North Carolina

In which branch of the military did you serve?

United States Navy

Years of military service

8 years

Why did you choose NewSchool?

I liked the quarter schedule.

How did you apply your military experience to your education?

I would say it was working in a team aspect.

What was your favorite thing about attending NewSchool?

The small class setting and the instructors really caring about you to stay past time to look over items one-on-one.

What have you been doing since you graduated?

Working and getting to know industry organization.

What has been your biggest career accomplishment?

Development of a training and education program within my department.

How did your experience in the military and in college prepare you for your future?

I think helped me refine my problem-solving skills in a group/team setting.

What would you like people to know about the life of a student veteran?

Enjoy it!

What advice would you give to veterans who are thinking about pursuing a college education?

Do it, see it as work, be focused, and before you know it you’ll be done.

Hometown: Syracuse, New York

In which branch of the military did you serve?

United States Navy

Years of military service

4 years

Why did you choose NewSchool?

Before I enlisted, NewSchool came up on an architecture school search I was doing to continue my degree. Years later when I was stationed in San Diego, I would regularly see NewSchool from the trolley I would take about town. I would eventually meet some Alumni and after I got out, I came to an open house. It was almost like destiny.

I went to Open House, fully intent on pursuing Architecture, having done that in community college 10 years earlier. While looking around, George Welch approached me and inquired what I was looking for. I told him my story and why I was interested in pursuing architecture. He said that perhaps what I was looking to do wasn’t Architecture, but Construction Management and proceeded to sell me on the program. I signed up that day and George (unbeknownst to him) became my mentor. His understanding and guidance really got me through my transition from military into civilian life and prepared me for my future career. Even after graduation, George has been a lighthouse for myself, and many other students, Veteran and civilian alike. He himself has a son in the military and was very empathetic to all of us and our constant struggles as we attempted to become something more and better our lives. I would like to think it’s because of him and people like George, that I was able to complete my degree.

How did you apply your military experience to your education?

You don’t always get to choose who you work with, and often time personalities can clash in tense situations. The job has to get done, so being able to work through that and with difficult people to be successful was an excellent skill I was able to apply and that NewSchool only enforced with their team building.

What was your favorite thing about attending NewSchool?

I enjoyed how it was large enough to be noticed in the community but small enough that you could know who everyone is and not get lost in the crowd. It was very much like a familiar community and the comfort level in that really helped foster my educational growth.

What have you been doing since you graduated?

I currently work for UC San Diego in their Facilities Planning Department where I get to work on the owner-side of construction. A very different path than my colleagues, but one that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed.

What has been your biggest career accomplishment?

I think it is too soon to tell. Sometimes just making it to graduation is the largest accomplishment, and I am very proud of that.

How did your experience in the military and in college prepare you for your future?

Setting priorities and then coming up with a “Plan B” when reality comes knocking. Being able to think on your feet to changing situations has really benefited me.

What would you like people to know about the life of a student veteran?

We’re a family, and no matter what, we’ve always had each other’s back. We might not always see eye-to-eye, but we’ve never let each other down or failed to show up for each other.

What advice would you give to veterans who are thinking about pursuing a college education?

Do it. You’ve earned it. The hardest part is convincing yourself to go.